Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 17/Aug 03:05

Dr Clayanne Knott a true all-rounder in sports, medicine

In the modern world, sports medicine is an integral aspect with billions of dollars invested to ensure athletes not only perform at their peak but also have a lengthy career. In TT, Dr Clayanne Knott is living her dream while on a mission to revolutionise sports and exercise. When she is not working at the Sangre Grande Hospital orthopaedic department as a house officer, the 28-year-old can be found at the Queen's Park Savannah and other venues providing medical assistance to the national rugby teams and other sporting clubs. The former Tunapuna resident's skills are not exclusively off the field, as she has also given and received her fair share of hits while playing national rugby and zonal football. Although she has begun a career in medicine. Knott's passion for sport remains unbridled and deep down, she still feels she has what it takes to play professionally. Knott may have to put her sporting ambitions on hold as the British High Commission recently announced that she was one of three TT Chevening scholarships recipients. The scholarships are funded by the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and partner organisations for outstanding emerging leaders around the world. Knott will be leaving in September to pursue her master's in sports and exercise medicine at the Queen Mary University of London. [caption id="attachment_1172599" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Clayanne Knott shows off her skills with the football.[/caption] In an interview with Newsday at the Buggy Haynes Ground on August 13 in Tacarigua, an area known for producing top sportsmen such as the former national footballer, whom the ground is named after, and cricketer Kieron Pollard, Knott said she is keen to also leave her imprint. The former St George's College student recalled watching and playing sports regularly as a little girl in her parent's backyard on St Vincent Street. She said her parents were huge NBA fans with her mother supporting the LA Lakers and her dad a fan of the Detroit Pistons. "My cousins lived right across the road, so almost every day it was football or cricket. Even when I had SEA, in the middle of that we were trying to find some sort of little gap to play a little bit of sports with them and that really gave me a love for sports to begin with." Knott recalled the exact moment when she realised sport was going to be an intrinsic part of her life. "I actually went to the 2010 Fifa Under-17 Women's World Cup that we hosted in Trinidad and that actually gave me a lot of motivation to start playing football. I went in the stadium, and just seeing the girls, hearing the national anthem – I can't remember which country it was we played, but it was really exciting and the pride that I felt, that was the first time I was like, 'No, I feel like I could do this.'" Knott laced up her booths tighter and began training for her high-school team as well as the East Zone under-15 football team. Although eager to make a career in sports, Knott said her mother was adamant that she must have "a balanced education." She said she heeded that advice and played sports while still pursuing her academics. Now, she is enjoying the best of both worlds. "It feels really good. It reminds me of all the things that I wanted to do when I was a child...I love it so much, even just sitting down at the sidelines while I'm supporting athletes on the field, it still gives me a sense of pride that I could combine the two of them and make a career out of it." Sports medicine plays an integral role Knott said TT needs to take sports medicine seriously if it wants to succeed and reach its potential. She said there are too many TT athletes having their careers derailed before they could reach their peak. [caption id="attachment_1172598" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Clayanne Knott speaks with Newsday sports editor Stephon Nicholas at the Buggy Haynes Ground on August 13 in Tacarigua.[/caption] She noted a "lack of support in terms of medical strength and conditioning training, as well as another big one that ties in – nutrition. I think once we have those things in place, it will allow to have a more structured system. So we know, okay, we have the systems, the clinics, we have the doctors, the trainers, and everyone to aid the athletes in terms of their performance." She said this will help produce high-performing athletes and this will augur well in the development of the local sport industry and attract investors. "I think our population, we like winners, but sometimes we may not want to do the work to get there. We still see sports as like a social aspect. A lot of persons, they don't see young athletes going on further and performing at the professional level. "So I think it's important that we do have athletes like (Spartak Moscow footballer) Levi Garcia making it outside. We do see a lot of swimmers, track and field athletes, and a lot of cyclists abroad recently. "I think once we get to see more of those type of persons – elite athletes – then it will actually allow for parents, teachers, coaches to push their students more." Align your friend groups with your goals She said young people, and girls in particular, must not take no for an answer when following their dreams. "I think what I would like to be seen as somebody who could inspire younger persons, especially young girls, because a lot of the times you have a lot of people in your ear, like a dim light on your dreams. "But I think it's important to know that you have options. No matter what you want to do, there are ways for you to still achieve your dreams...I think one thing that women and girls need to understand, there are no limits and there will be barriers, but none of those barriers could ever hold you back. And I would like them to know that if it is you really are passionate about something, go for it." She said girls often drop out of sports during adolescence owing to peer pressure from other girls who may want to look a certain way to people. [caption id="attachment_1172597" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Dr Clayanne Knott has played in the national rugby and zonal football leagues.[/caption] "If you have friends who are more focusing on looks and aesthetics and who you hang out with, those things could influence young girls. So I think it's important to form groups and friend groups who could keep you active and could keep you pushing." She recalled some people, even friends, trying to dissuade her from focusing on sports medicine. She said finding a mentor helps in steering one towards a particular goal. "A lot of persons, because sports and exercise medicine is a relatively one of the younger specialities, a lot of people were deterrents. Why you want to do that? A lot of my friends thought that I had a lot of passion and skillset when it came to orthopaedics. So they were more like, 'No, go ahead, do orthopaedics or do family medicine, do something like that instead of sports medicine.'" She said her search for mentors was not an easy task and she was ignored at times. "But I think I kept persistent. I think one of my skillsets is not being afraid to talk to persons. I would strike up a conversation. So I take any opportunity to reach out to persons and see how I could form a relationship with them – and that is actually what got me started in rugby in terms of the pitch-side medic aspect." Traditional vs modern medicine Knott said being tough is a trait beneficial to all athletes in contact sport and acknowledged second-guessing her choices when she received her first big hit while playing rugby. "For sure. Yeah. The first hit, yeah, it was a big one, but in rugby I could get my 'lick back.' So I just have to wait for my chance. Okay, I see you. So I just have to wait to tackle you again." Asked about the local culture of preferring traditional medicine to treat injuries, Knott said there is a place for both, but it is important to "know when to stay away from the traditional things and actually seek medical help before it gets too late." In rugby, she said, there are many instances where an injured athlete decides to "tough it out" or "rub it out" using traditional medicines such as soft candle and other herbs. She said this practice needs to stop immediately as it could be detrimental to careers. "I don't think they really and truly understand, you need to have some sort of rehabilitation and progress within your limits." She said her knowledge of orthopaedics gives her the knowledge required to assist athletes to make the right medical decisions. "I remember I was in (UWI) medical school in Cave Hill (Barbados) in the ortho-rotation and it was a day we had an operating theatre and the drill, really and truly I was like, oh okay, that sounds cool. And seeing how it is they could like, you know, remove bone and put back implants and help persons to become fully functional again, really is what stood out to me." She said sport and exercise medicine is not only beneficial for athletes but the average citizen, which would ease the burden considerably on the public health sector. "In terms of sports, I think we need to ensure that we have a bigger community presence, because a long time ago, you would see the (Eddie Hart) savannah filled. I mean, now you still see a lot of people, but I don't think it's as much. So I would like for us to have that community aspect of sport. "It doesn't have to be competition-wise, but just like a social avenue for members of the community to stay fit. So I want to shine that light on sports medicine, as well as sports exercise, to allow the community to be a bit more active. And that will also help us in the long term, having a healthier population."   The post Dr Clayanne Knott a true all-rounder in sports, medicine appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.